It's time to explore Saint Paul and you must be considering what transportation mode will serve you best. Your feet will do wonders, so take to the streets. Yes, the ideal way to discover the city is on foot. The Twin Cities are very easy to navigate, especially the downtown area is quite walking friendly and easily navigable. You can wander around the town via the enclosed heated walkways - The Minneapolis Skyway. If you have a car, it is also a good option to roam around lake areas and suburbs. Just a heads up, traffic can be troublesome sometimes. The city's public transportation is provided by Metro Transit that operates light rail routes and local bus services.
Image by 4ullas via http://www.panoramio.com/photo/20128866Travel to Saint Paul by Air
The Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport serves Saint Paul. The city is also attended by the St. Paul Downtown Airport, a reliever airport that is operated by Metropolitan Airports Commission.
The Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport: MSP is a joint civil-military international airport owned and operated by Metropolitan Airports Commission. The airport serves as a major hub for Delta Air Lines, Great Lakes Airlines and Sun Country Airlines. In the six-state upper mid western regions of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, MSP is the largest and busiest airport.
The top 10 international destinations it serves include-
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Paris (Charles de Gaulle), France
- Toronto (Pearson), Canada
- Tokyo (Narita), Japan
- Cancun, Mexico
- Winnipeg, Canada
- Vancouver, Canada
- London (Heathrow), UK
- Edmonton, Canada
- Calgary, Canada
Address:
Terminal 1-Lindbergh, 4300 Glumack Drv, Saint Paul, MN 55111
Phone: 612-726-5555
Terminal 2-Humphrey, 7150 Humphrey Drv, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55450
Phone: 612-726-5555
Website:
www.mspairport.com
Getting to and from the Airport
The Blue Line light-rail service: This light rail route is the cheapest means that will take you from MSP to Minneapolis. Regular fare is around $1.75 while rush-hour fare is around $2.25. The journey there will take approximately 25 minutes.
Bus 54: This bus provides services from MSP to to St Paul. Regular fare is $1.75 and rush-hour fare is $2.25.
Taxi services: There are lots of taxi rentals available in the airport. Taxi rental from MSP to Twin Cities may approximately cost around $45.
Explore some of the best shopping centers in St Paul!
Travel to Saint Paul by Train
Amtrak: Amtrak train provides intercity connectivity. Empire Builder is the daily train service that links St. Paul to Chicago, which takes approximately 8 hours and
to Seattle which takes around 37 hours.
Empire Builder Route: Chicago to Milwaukee to Saint Paul/Minneapolis to Spokane to Portland/Seattle
Address: Union Depot
240 Kellogg Boulevard East Suite 70, St. Paul
Website:
www.uniondepot.org
Travel to Saint Paul by Bus
Greyhound: This bus service runs frequently and offers connectivity to
Milwaukee (approximately takes 7 hours), Chicago (approximately takes 9 hours) and Duluth (approximately takes 3 hours).
Address: 950 Hawthorne Ave
Phone: 612-371-3325
Megabus: This is another great bus service that is convenient and affordable. The bus departs from both the university and downtown. It provides express services to Chicago (8 hours) and Milwaukee (6 hours).
Website:
www.megabus.com/us
Public Transportation in Saint Paul
The Metro Transit serves the local transit and offers bus and light rail services in the Twin Cities areas.
On Foot: There is no better way than on foot to discover the beautiful city. The friendly locals and easy to navigate dense area, will make your walking tour a fun and fulfilling one. In downtown Minneapolis, there is the Minneapolis Skyway, that is enclosed and heated, and offers convenient shelter for pedestrians from bad weather (rain, sleet or snow).
Bike: There are a plenty of bike sharing stations that are available throughout St. Paul and Minneapolis. Nice Ride is the city's top bike rentals that are open to public from April to November. A 24 hours pass is available for $6, that covers the first 30 minutes of ride, beyond which you need to pay $3 for every 30-minute interval. Or else, opt for the 30-day pass, available for $15. All Nice Ride stations around the metro sell passes.
Nice Ride MNAddress: 701 36th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55406
email: customerservice@niceridemn.org
Customer Care: 1-877-551-6423
Website:
www.niceridemn.orgClick here to see the Minneapolis Bicycle Program for trail maps and rental shops.
Car: Cars come handy when you have to explore the suburbs and lakes of the city. If you don't have one, you can rent a vehicle from various rental agencies available in the airport and throughout the town. The best part is that there are lots of parking spaces available in downtown, so its hassle free parking. Some notable car rental agencies include -
Budget Rent A CarAddress: 166 E 7th Street, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-222-8562
Enterprise Rent-A-CarAddress: 395 E 7th Street, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-225-9766
Avis Car RentalAddress: 66 E 7th Street, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-917-9955
Hertz Local EditionAddress: 644 Bayfield Street, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-457-2788
Enterprise Rent-A-CarAddress: 1161 University Avenue West, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-228-0088
Budget Car RentalAddress: 425 Rice Street, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-222-8795
Taxi: Downtown Twin Cities can be best covered by taxis. You can book taxis via apps. Any cab ride charges a minimum $5 on flag down and the fare is added according to distances covered. Some popular companies include
Red and White Taxi and
Blue and White Taxi. Other notable taxi services include -
Yellow CabPhone: 612-824-4444
Green and White TaxiAddress: 1907 W Charles Avenue, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-222-2222
St Paul Yellow TaxiAddress: 1463 Marshall Avenue, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-222-4433
Airport Express Super TaxiPhone: 1 612-349-9999
Flat Rate Airport Taxi WoodburyPhone: 1 612-516-3278
A1 Transportation MinnesotaAddress: 201 Snelling Ave North, St Paul
Phone: 1 651-231-3500
Paddle Taxi LlcAddress: 2500 Crosby Farm Rd
Woodbury Airport TransportationPhone: 1 651-999-9100
Air Express Taxi CabPhone: 1 612-254-9224
Light-rail: This is one of the most efficient and convenient public transportation options in the Twin Cities. Light rail offers three lines - the green line, the blue line and the red line. For a more convenient travel option, you can avail day or week unlimited passes (for bus as well as train). The 50 cents "Downtown Zone" fare allows you to travel within the Twin Cities areas on a bus or the light-rail.
- The green line: It offers connectivity between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. The regular fare is $1.75 while the rush hours fare is about $2.25. Operation hours from 6am to 9 a.m. and from 3pm to
6:30 p.m.
- The blue line: It runs between the Mall of America and Target Field.
- The red line: It stretches along Cedar Avenue and provides Bus Rapid Transit
between the Mall of America and the suburb of Apple Valley.
Bus: The local bus service is very convenient and affordable. Visitors sometimes complaint that the Non-linear routes are quite confusing. So it is advisable to keep a map handy. One of the best way to explore the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is to hop on the university's free shuttle buses that will take you between each campus.
For more details and schedule information on MetroTransit, Click Here or call at
612-373-3333.
Find out the best hotels to stay in St Paul!
Map Guide of Getting In-and-Around St. Paul
